Estimates of glacier mass balance using geodetic methods can differ significantly from estimates using direct glaciological field-based measurements. To determine if such differences are real or methodological, there is a need to improve uncertainty estimates in both methods. In this paper, we focus on the uncertainty of geodetic methods and describe a geostatistical technique that takes into account the spatial correlation of the elevation differences when calculating spatially averaged elevation changes. We apply this method to the western Svartisen ice cap, Norway, using elevation differences from the surrounding bedrock derived from stereophotogrammetry. We show that the uncertainty is not only dependent on the standard error of the individual elevation differences but is also dependent on the size of the averaging area and the scale of the spatial correlation. To assess if the geostatistical analysis made over bedrock is applicable to glacier surfaces, we use concurrent photogrammetrical and laser scanning data from bedrock and a range of glacier surfaces to evaluate the dependency of the geostatistical analysis on the surface type. The estimated geodetic mass balance, and its uncertainty, is -2.6 +/- 0.9 m w.e. for the period 1968-85, and -2.0 +/- 2.2 m w.e. for 1985-2002.

Perceived food hypersensitivity is much more common than food allergy as medically verified. Unexplained symptoms and wrong attribution are typical in subjective health complaints. We hypothesize that subjective health complaints and worries are abnormally prevalent among patients with subjective food hypersensitivity. Forty-six patients with subjective food hypersensitivity and two control groups, one formed by 50 health care workers and one by 70 sex- and age-matched volunteers from the general population, were included in our study. All filled in two questionnaires: Subjective Health Complaints Inventory and Modern Health Worries Scale. None of the patients had IgE-mediated food allergy. The patients scored significantly higher than the controls on sum scores for four domains of subjective health complaints, including gastrointestinal complaints (P < 0.001), musculoskeletal complaints (P < 0.01), "pseudoneurology" (P < 0.001), and allergy (P < 0.001). Sum scores on modern health worries did not differ significantly between groups. The results support our hypothesis of an association between subjective food hypersensitivity and subjective health complaints, corroborating the view that, in the absence of food allergy, the conditions are sharing pathogenetic mechanisms.

Objective: Somatic symptoms are prevalent in the community, but at least one third of the symptoms lack organic explanation. Patients with such symptoms have a tendency to overuse the health care system with frequent consultations and have a high degree of disability and sickness compensation. Studies from clinical samples have shown that anxiety and depression are prevalent in such functional conditions. The aim of this study is to examine the connection between anxiety, depression, and functional somatic symptoms in a large community sample. Method: The HUNT-II study invited all inhabitants aged 20 years and above in Nord-Trondelag County of Norway to have their health examined and sent a questionnaire asking about physical symptoms, demographic factors, lifestyle, and somatic diseases. Anxiety and depression were recorded by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Of those invited, 62,651 participants (71.3%) filled in the questionnaire. A total of 10,492 people were excluded due to organic diseases, and 50,377 were taken into the analyses. Results: Women reported more somatic symptoms than men (mean number of symptoms women/men: 3.8/2.9). There was a strong association between anxiety, depression, and functional somatic symptoms. The association was equally strong for anxiety and depression, and a somewhat stronger association was observed for comorbid anxiety and depression. The association of anxiety, depression, and functional somatic symptoms was equally strong in men and women (mean number of somatic symptoms men/women in anxiety: 4.5/5.9, in depression: 4.6/5.9, in comorbid anxiety and depression: 6.1/7.6, and in no anxiety or depression: 2.6/3.6) and in all age groups. The association between number of somatic symptoms and the total score on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was linear. Conclusion: There was a statistically significant relationship between anxiety, depression, and functional somatic symptoms, independent of age and gender.

Background Maintenance of treatment effect is important for the choice of treatment for social phobia. Aims To examine the effect of exposure therapy and sertraline 28 weeks after cessation of medical treatment. Method In this study 375 patients with social phobia were randomised to treatment with sertraline or placebo for 24 weeks, with or without the addition of exposure therapy Fifty-two weeks after inclusion, 328 patients were evaluated by the same psychometric tests as at baseline and the end of treatment (24 weeks). Results The exposure therapy group and the placebo group had a further improvement in scores on social phobia during follow-up: mean change in the Clinical Global Impression – Social Phobia overall severity score was 0.45 (95% CI 016–0.65, P < 0.01) for the exposure group, and 0.25 (95% CI 0.00–0.48, P < 0.05) for the placebo group. At week 52 the sertraline plus exposure group and the sertraline-alone group had a significant deterioration on the 36-item Short Form Health Survey compared with exposure alone. Conclusions Exposure therapy alone yielded a further improvement during follow-up, whereas exposure therapy combined with sertraline and sertraline alone showed a tendency towards deterioration after the completion of treatment.

The purpose of this study was to explore whether self-reported whiplash traumas were associated with increased prevalence of anxiety disorder and depression. A cross-sectional design (N=61,110) based on data from the health study (HUNT-II) was used. Anxiety and depression were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). A positive association was found between whiplash traumas and anxiety disorder and depression in traumas that happened more than 2 years ago, but not in more recent whiplash traumas. Some of the association between whiplash traumas and anxiety and depression is due to neck pain and headache. Two different explanations, the “memory bias” and the “attribution” hypothesis, are discussed as explanations of these results.

Objective: To review the literature of the validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Method: A review of the 747 identified papers that used HADS was performed to address the following questions: (I) How are the factor structure, discriminant validity and the internal consistency of HADS? (II) How does HADS perform as a case finder for anxiety disorders and depression? (III) How does HADS agree with other self-rating instruments used to rate anxiety and depression? Results: Most factor analyses demonstrated a two-factor solution in good accordance with the HADS subscales for Anxiety (HADS-A) and Depression (HADS-D), respectively. The correlations between the two subscales varied from .40 to .74 (mean .56). Cronbach's alpha for HADS-A varied from .68 to .93 (mean .83) and for HADS-D from .67 to .90 (mean .82). In most studies an optimal balance between sensitivity and specificity was achieved when caseness was defined by a score of 8 or above on both HADS-A and HADS-D. The sensitivity and specificity for both HADS-A and HADS-D of approximately 0.80 were very similar to the sensitivity and specificity achieved by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Correlations between HADS and other commonly used questionnaires were in the range .49 to .83. Conclusions: HADS was found to perform well in assessing the symptom severity and caseness of anxiety disorders and depression in both somatic, psychiatric and primary care patients and in the general population.

Background: In clinical studies there is a strong relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms, anxiety and depression. The results may be biased, however, since anxiety and depression will influence the decision to consult a doctor. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between these symptoms in the population. Methods: In the Health Study of Nord-Trøndelag County of Norway (HUNT) a questionnaire concerning physical and mental health, demographic and life-style factors was sent to all inhabitants aged 20 years and above (a total of 94,197 persons). Valid questionnaires were returned by 62,651 persons (66.5%). Presence of nausea, heartburn, diarrhoea and constipation during the last year was self-reported. Anxiety disorders and depression were based on self-ratings of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: 48% of the population reported one or more of the four gastrointestinal symptoms. Based on the HADS ratings, 15.3% of the population had an anxiety disorder and 10.4% a depression. Anxiety disorder was most strongly associated with nausea (OR 3.42). Anxiety was also associated with heartburn, diarrhoea and constipation, but weaker than with nausea. Depression was less strongly associated with the four gastrointestinal symptoms. Demographic factors, life-style factors and extra-gastrointestinal complaints could not explain the effect of anxiety disorders and depression on these gastrointestinal symptoms. Conclusions: In this population study there was a strong relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms, anxiety disorders and depression. These findings suggest that mental disorders in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms are not merely a consequence of selection bias in patient materials but connected to the symptoms themselves.

The purpose of this study was to explore whether self-reported whiplash traumas were associated with increased prevalence of anxiety disorder and depression. A cross-sectional design (N=61,110) based on data from the health study (HUNT-II) was used. Anxiety and depression were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). A positive association was found between whiplash traumas and anxiety disorder and depression in traumas that happened more than 2 years ago, but not in more recent whiplash traumas. Some of the association between whiplash traumas and anxiety and depression is due to neck pain and headache. Two different explanations, the "memory bias" and the "attribution" hypothesis, are discussed as explanations of these results.

Nausea is a commonly reported symptom with a point prevalence of about 12% in the community. Nausea is a prominent symptom in functional gastrointestinal disorders and patients with anxiety and depression frequently present gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and abdominal discomfort as their main problem when they consult a doctor. Functional gastrointestinal disorders are strongly related to anxiety and depressive disorders with a lifetime prevalence of 80–90% in samples from clinics of gastroenterology. This study examines the relationship between anxiety disorders, depressions and nausea in a large community sample. A questionnaire on physical and mental health and demographic and life-style factors was sent to all adults 20 years and above in Nord Trøndelag county in Norway. A total of 94,197 questionnaires were sent, with 62,651 persons returning the questionnaire, a response rate of 66.5%. The presence of nausea, heartburn, diarrhea and constipation during the last year was recorded. Anxiety disorders and depressions were based on self-rating of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Forty-eight per cent reported one or several gastrointestinal complaints during the last year. 12.5% complained of nausea. 15.3% had an anxiety disorder and 10.4% a depression based on HADS ratings. Presence of anxiety disorders carried the highest risk for nausea (OR 3.42). Presence of depression also increased the risk, but less than anxiety disorders (OR 1.47). Demographic factors, life-style factors and extra-gastrointestinal conditions did not reduce the OR of anxiety disorders and depressions to any significant extent. We found that the presence of anxiety disorders was the strongest risk factor for nausea. Depression also carried a certain risk while demographic factors, life-style factors and other somatic conditions did not carry any substantial risk for nausea. Differential diagnoses of nausea should therefore include both anxiety and depressive conditions.

OBJECTIVE:To review the literature of the validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).METHOD:A review of the 747 identified papers that used HADS was performed to address the following questions: (I) How are the factor structure, discriminant validity and the internal consistency of HADS? (II) How does HADS perform as a case finder for anxiety disorders and depression? (III) How does HADS agree with other self-rating instruments used to rate anxiety and depression?RESULTS:Most factor analyses demonstrated a two-factor solution in good accordance with the HADS subscales for Anxiety (HADS-A) and Depression (HADS-D), respectively. The correlations between the two subscales varied from.40 to.74 (mean.56). Cronbach's alpha for HADS-A varied from.68 to.93 (mean.83) and for HADS-D from.67 to.90 (mean.82). In most studies an optimal balance between sensitivity and specificity was achieved when caseness was defined by a score of 8 or above on both HADS-A and HADS-D. The sensitivity and specificity for both HADS-A and HADS-D of approximately 0.80 were very similar to the sensitivity and specificity achieved by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Correlations between HADS and other commonly used questionnaires were in the range.49 to.83.CONCLUSIONS:HADS was found to perform well in assessing the symptom severity and caseness of anxiety disorders and depression in both somatic, psychiatric and primary care patients and in the general population.

There is a strong relationship between functional dyspepsia (FD) and psychiatric symptoms like anxiety and depression, and this indicates that psychological therapy could be beneficial for these patients. In cognitive therapy, the goal is to help the patients develop better coping strategies. Cognitive therapy attempts to change dysfunctional thoughts and behavior by cognitive restructuring, behavioral monitoring and role-playing. Method: In this study, patients with FD were randomized to cognitive therapy (10 sessions of 45–50 min) or to a control group. Results: The therapy group had a greater reduction than the controls in dyspeptic symptoms at the end of therapy and at 1 year follow-up. The therapy focused on "target complaints" defined by the patients themselves before the start of therapy, and there was a greater reduction in scores on "target complaints" in the therapy group than in the control group at the end of treatment and at follow-up. Conclusion: Cognitive therapy seems to be effective in reducing symptoms in patients with FD.

About 4% of consultations in general practice involve patients with upper gastrointestinal complaints. Evidence of peptic ulcer disease is identified in only 20-30% of the patients. No organic explanation of the symptoms is found using endoscopy in 20-50%; these patients are given the diagnosis non-ulcer dyspepsia or functional dyspepsia. Hypersecretion of gastric acid and the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which seem to be major aetiologic factors in duodenal ulcer, are not important in functional dyspepsia. In these patients gastric motor abnormalities and visceral hypersensitivity are the most important pathophysiological mechanisms. The gastric motility is influenced by stress; there is a strong relationship between anxiety, depression and functional dyspepsia. Antacids, H2-blockers and prokinetics are hardly more effective than placebo in patients with functional dyspepsia, while antidepressants have been proven effective in reducing dyspeptic symptoms. Likewise, psychological treatment like bio-feedback, stress management, interpersonal psychotherapy and cognitive therapy has also been proven effective in reducing dyspeptic symptoms in patients with functional dyspepsia.